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How To Save Money And Time Ordering Takeaway

Takeaway food is blessing for many busy families. As much as we’d all like to be able to provide home-cooked meals every day, extracurricular activities and errands can make that impossible. Takeaway is an easy option that provides near-instant relief from the worry of feeding everyone something they enjoy by providing hot, tasty food with very little planning.

1. Order Early

Many takeaway restaurants will give a discount for customers that order earlier in the day, allowing them to prepare for your meal prior to the dinner rush. In some cases they may want to deliver food early, meaning that it’s a good idea to order food that reheats well, like Indian or Chinese cuisine that can be fried in a pan with just a little water. Others may allow you to schedule your order to be delivered at dinnertime and ordered in advance.

2. Order Online

Online ordering systems have huge advantages for takeaways in that they don’t require staff to be answering phones and taking orders manually. As a result, some places will have cheaper prices when you order online. Even if they don’t, online ordering is fast and easy. While there are many large sites to order from, you can often find locally focussed ones that will have better reviews of local restaurants. You can find them by searching using your hometown as a keyword, like ‘takeaway in Leeds.’

3. Know Everyone’s Favorites

If you decide you need takeaway and you need to order quickly, having a solid understanding of what everyone likes is a good start. By planning in advance you’ll spend less time chasing members of your household down to ask what they want. A good idea for families is to keep a paper menu for your favorite takeaway around and mark items for each family member.

4. Plan Ahead and Budget

Knowing when you’ll need to order takeaway in advance can help you keep costs low and budget accordingly. If Thursdays are your busiest days, plan to order on Thursdays and keep track of how much money you spend on average so you don’t break your budget.

5. Loyalty Programs

If you have a favorite takeaway that the whole family enjoys, see if they have a loyalty program. Loyalty programs can let you earn points, free food or even prizes, just for ordering food you were going to order anyway.

6. Social Media

Following you favorite restaurant on social media can get you great savings. They’ll let you know about menu changes, offer discount and coupon codes, or even notify you of flash sales. On top of that, you support their business with just a click.

7. Ask For Specials

It’s not at all unusual for takeaways to have daily specials, which can be a great choice if you don’t have a family of picky eaters. Ordering specials also gives you the chance to try new dishes. In some restaurants the specials are the dishes the restaurant is most popular for or proud of, meaning they’re often the tastiest thing on the menu.